Feelings after a celebrity/actor die...

[jayman75]

I read yesterday that LaWanda Page, the woman who played Aunt Esther on Sanford and Son, passed away this past weekend. Another board member, Jenny, posted something that intrigued me.

Have you ever felt any emotions when either an actor or a character have passed away. For example, Edith Bunker died (although Jean Stapleton is still alive). Likewise, Carroll O'Connor passed away a few months back. It was a sad time when he died, because he'd had lots of problems in his last few years (his health, the death of his son, etc).

So, anyone want to share some feelings about the passing of a character or actor??

[DarleneIllyria]

Whenever a celebrity I like dies, it kind of tears me up. It's especially bad if I grew up watching the actor. The first celebrity that died that I especially liked was Ray Walston. I was on my Bill Bixby kick at that time, and was a diehard fan of 'My Favorite Martian'. It's kind of odd that Ray outlasted all of the actors on that show. Even stranger, I think the 4 main characters all died from some sort of cancer. Odd.... But when I read Ray had died, it felt like I had swallowed a rock.

Carroll O' Connor affected me in a different way. When I found out he had died, I cried my eyes out for who knows how long. I loved Carroll on All in the Family. I watched the show all the time, so it really seemed like Archie was my grandfather. His death tore me up the most I would say.

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau's deaths kind of shocked me. It was kind of eerie how they died around the same day except a year apart. I had grew up watching their movies. They had such great chemistry together that every movie just came to life as Jack and Walter's characters snapped back and forth to each other.

[animalcrackers]

It is sad when someone, who you have watched for along time, passes away. LaWanda played some great characters. I had a big crush on Doug McClure, and when he died I was down in the dumps for awhile. I still feel sad when I see him in something on TV.

[Brian Damage]

If a favorite actor of mine passes away, I usually like to watch some of his/her work to remember them. For instance Kim Hunter just died and I watched my Planet of the Apes tape.

[Flash72]

So far the only time I cried at the passing of a celebrity was in 1989 when Lucille Ball died. I had grown up like so many others watching her crazy antics on her various television series and films and loved her dearly. It came as quite a shock because Lucy was actually improving when she died and no one was expecting it to occur. I remember that night some of the networks preempted regular program to run special tribute programs to the queen of comedy. It was some time before I could watch her on television again and not feel saddened.

[JT]

I never really cried, but I've been on crying's verge many times. Take, for instance, Arlene Francis' death earlier this year (or late last year or early last year, I keep forgetting). I saw it on the early morning news, and I was simply shocked. I didn't feel that good at the beginning of the day, but by the time I got home, I was accepting the fact, and I was completely ready for a What's My Line? marathon on GSN(I don't think they even had one!). I remember back to 1998. That was a double header for me. I was watching the 9 o'clock (central) news on my FOX affiliate. And out of the blue I suddenly hear "Three's Company Star Norman Fell Died At Age 75." I was crushed. I mean CRUSHED. I went to sleep that night and I was like AMAZED. I only started watching TC the year before that, but I grew such a close bond with the characters, and I admired the actors and actresses so much. I'm surprised Audra Lindley's death passed by, and I didn't hear about it until last year. In 1998, also, Flip Wilson died. I saw his death on the news too. They had a picture of him as Geraldine "The Devil Made Me Do It!" Jones on one side and him as his reg. self on the other with his birth and death years at the bottom, while they said "The Magnificant Television Star Flip Wilson Died." I remember the words like I read them out of a book. Another shocker. When I learned of Elizabeth Montgomery's death.......whooo that is probably the only one that I actually did cry! It was right when I was a crazed Bewitched maniac, and I had like the HUGEST HUGEST HUGEST HUGEST HUGEST crush on Samantha Stephens. I watched Liz's Biography, and I was completely heart-broken when they started to go down the line of Liz's cancer. And then, I just broke down when they said she died, and when they showed the headlines from various newspapers. *wipes away tear* I remember Carroll's death too. My mother said "Oh yeah. One of your TV stars died." I said to myself "Damn....damn Mary (Tyler Moore), why did you have to go so young?" but out loud I said "Who?" and when she said that, ATIF just came on NAN and the theme song was playing and she said "There he go right there!" And I went to my room to watch the full episode of AITF, instead of watching what I planned to watch that night. Another sad one was when I learned HOW Victor Kilian died. I kinda knew that he was dead already, I mean, the man was in his 80s and 90s in the late 70s. But when I learned that he was murdered by burglers in 1979, I just stopped what I was doing, and I stared at the words on the computer screen. I didn't talk to anyone for the rest of that night.

[JT]

Originally posted by briandamage
If a favorite actor of mine passes away, I usually like to watch some of his/her work to remember them. For instance Kim Hunter just died and I watched my Planet of the Apes tape.

Oh yeah, that's me too. But I usually look forward to the marathons or specials. Like when Walter Mathau died, they showed the "Odd Couple" movie from 1968, and I watched it for the first time, and I loved it. I'm just extremely angry that PAX showd no interest in a Eight is Enough marathon when Lani O'Grady was found dead.

[dawsongirl]

Originally posted by Jenny
Whenever a celebrity I like dies, it kind of tears me up.

That's me. I swear I'll end up like those people who cried and are still crying over Elvis when Richard....passes....didn't want to type that.

Well, when Adam Petty died, I cried on and off for two days. I wasn't even really a big fan but he was about my age.

Then when Dale Earnhardt (whom I wasn't a fan of at all) died, I cried again. God, I remember cheering when he hit the wall and then later, when they didn't know his condition, saying to myself, "Man, I hope he doesn't die." And he did and I felt SO guilty.

[Pitooey]

As you can see I'm still pining over the death of Freddie Prinze (See my avatar). It's been 25 years since he died. I was a BIG fan of his in the 70's and then he died.

Another person who I feel sad for dying is Richard Dawson's replacement in The Family Feud. Ray Cohn.

[Cactus Jack]

Yes those are very sad, but Jack Dodson died in 1994, I lvoe him as Mickey Malph on Happy Days and he is hysterical its sad he died

[dawsongirl]

Originally posted by JennyLee22
Another person who I feel sad for dying is Richard Dawson's replacement in The Family Feud. Ray Cohn.

OMG, I remember when that happened...well, vaguely anyway. I heard it on a TV report and I was so shocked. Back then I wasn't the obsessive Feud watcher I am now, but I did catch it occassionally and I couldn't believe the host of Feud had killed himself.

FYI- His name is Combs.

[Chocoholic]

I cried when I heard Phil Hartman was murdered. He was such a great actor and a funny guy. I still miss him.

I also cried for several days when Peanuts creator Charles Schulz died.

[Christopher]

The only actor that died that really made me sad, even cry, was Josh Ryan Evans from Passions. He was only 20 years old and was such a great actor. He not only died in real life but also on the show Passions the same day, August 5, 2002. His death really hit me. I felt really sad for Juliet Mills his co star, the one who mostly worked with him a lot on the show. His character was her whole part of the show. When Juliet was on Today it was sad to hear her talk about Josh, she loved him like her own child. I really can not stand it that he died. Passions seems so weird and different without him. His last appearance on Passions showed him in heaven with an angel giving him his wings. That is the only scene from Passions I cried at.

[¤I Love Clay Aiken¤]

Im not really affected by a stars death if I wasnt a fan by them (doesnt mean I dont feel bad though), but I really like All In The Family and to THIS day am STILL shocked Carroll is dead. Ive never cried over a stars death, but his was sad. Whenever I watch I Love Lucy, Bewitched, Brady Bunch (Robert Reed), and All In The Family, its still like theyre still alive, but then when the show is over, youre like *Woah, theyre really dead.* Anyone else think that too? Like, theyre not REALLY gone?

[DarleneIllyria]

Originally posted by dawsongirl
That's me. I swear I'll end up like those people who cried and are still crying over Elvis when Richard....passes....didn't want to type that.

I know what you're saying about Richard. I kind of dread Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, Jim Nabors, Adam West, Burt Ward, Frank Gorshin and all the others that I like- I'm dreading their deaths.

Geez...I just realized something. The youngest actor I like is Burt Ward and he's 56 or 57. All my other favorites are in their 60s, 70s, or 80s.